Complements, Compliments
by Anais.P
Summary: A polite expression of a thing that completes or brings to perfection. What does one think when they think of High School? Talim learns through positive, negative, and a red-head that comes with it. :   Yay, simple summary!
1. Chapter 1

_I've been thinking...and decided to post this... _

_:3 Shoutout to Venusgurl5 for inspiring me some..! Much love to ya, gurl!_

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><p><em>"It is only at the first encounter that a face makes its full impression on us." <em>

_-Arthur Schopenhauer  
><em>

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><p><strong>The Impression<strong>

So, this is what it was like inside a public school.

The faded smell of cleansing agents. Candy wrappers, crumpled paper balls and other random debris littering the cafe' hall and tables. The murmured greetings between janitorial faculty and other staff who were subject to the laze of the education system. A few random visitors to and from one of the few safehavens for the faculty - the teacher's lounge. A girl dressed in a pastel spaghetti-strap shirt and a short denim skirt carelessly swinging an elementary-looking colorful wooden slab the size of a ruler adorned with the words HALL PASS meandering into the girl's restroom while texting on her cellphone. The rank smell of bad aim as one passed near the boy's restroom. A random student here or there wandering around the halls to pass the time. A couple making out in a corner in the common's area. Another couple emerging from a broom closet, looking rather ruffled, giggling and immediately going their seperate ways.

Yes, public high school at it's finest. Namely New Calibre High School.

Big brown eyes absorbed all this with undisclosed interest, earning confused looks from some individuals who noticed. A pair of plaits the color of darkened pine needles bounced as the beholder looked left, right, and all around her surroundings, absorbing all of what she saw as if everything were made of the finest and most expensive material man could ever come by. Even the water fountains held her interest; petite bronzed hands reached out and pressed the two large silver buttons labeled _Press Here_ on either side of the fountain and she gasped in wonder when she was rewarded with an arc of (deceivingly) clear water. She tried this again and again, smiling at the stocatto-styled shots of water that spurt from the fountain's faucet. Another random passerby glanced at her while she stared in wonder and slowed their walk as they witnessed her puzzling actions. The still smiling girl noticed her onlooker and turned to them with a wave.

"Oh, hello! I'm new the this school."

The guy seemed relieved to know that she had legit sense; he was under the impression that he might have had to find a special education teacher. He took in her choice of wear and her hair color, tanned skin, even her short height as she stepped closer to him and figured what she'd had to deal with all day. She rummaged through her green satchel bag and pulled out an orchid sheet of paper.

"Umm...could you tell me where my next class is? I've gotten a little...lost, I guess."

A little embarrassed, she chuckled as she handed the paper to the boy who listlessly read her classes. He blinked lamely as he regarded her Honors and AP ridden schedule. She was a sophomore taking senior classes, which guaranteed her an early graduation and being subject to the ignorance of some of her less determined peers. His lips curled a little at her sucky luck. He glanced at her again as she resumed looking around in unashamed wonder. Judging from her looks and getup, she wasn't from Edge, or the country for that matter, and that was probably another thing she'd get teased about. She was kind of cute though. In a ridiculously innocent way. Probably the type of way that could cause a middle-aged, twisted man to end up on T.V. for the wrong reason. The teen smirked.

_'Why don't you take a seat over there. Can you tell me why you're here, sir? Well, I'm here with Dateline NBC...'_

Deciding to stop with his musings so he could get back to the matter in hand, then his own doings, he looked back at the schedule for her last class of the day.

Talim on the other hand, had gone back to gazing around the hall with unabashed wonder. During the rather short time she'd been in the school, she'd spent most of her time in the student information center. As most busy three-out-of-five star schools go, they couldn't find her schedule for the semester. It had nothing to do with the fact that she'd arrived after the winter holidays (or, maybe it did since much of the staff slacked off around that time and probably misplaced her records when they were sent overseas to the school) and everyone was receiving their schedules for the new semester, some later than others. It was simply somewhere in someone else's office (and someone else's fault). This disconcerted Talim, but after it was explained to her that she would still be a student at the public school and be able to explore everything the place had to offer (she earned many raised eyebrows at that question), she was calmed and sat contently in a chair next to the wrap around desk. Not everyone was as frazzled and grouchy about the holidays being over. The woman sitting behind the desk was very warm with Talim and asked her questions about where she came from as other staff rushed around to retrieve her documents. Talim answered her questions courteously, but didn't relay too much information. She'd been sent from her homeland to stretch her wings, sample the winds and broaden her horizons, she reminded herself, not heavy her heart with how much she'd miss her family, friends and close-knit community. And her father, especially.

Eventually, her schedule was found (or quickly and rather expertly created on the spot) and since it was so late in the day, she only had to go to her last class: Trigonometry. After receiving a late lunch courtesy of the counselor, the filipina was given a staff escort and they were off down the halls in search of her last class of the day. On the way though, her escort got sidetracked by two students necking against a wall in plain sight and with an exasperated sigh left her to find her own way without a word. Talim had been dumbfounded, but decided to find her own way to class and enjoy a self-guided tour while she was at it.

She'd gotten sidetracked by a few things on the way, mainly the way the other students acted, dressed, and looked. At her academy school, public displays of affection and were pretty much unheard of, what with it being an all-girls academy. Her school might not have had many amenities like that of an American school, but their codes were strict. It was natural for things to be different here she thought when one couple responded to her outright stare at their french-kissing with a few coarse words. She'd have to respect the ways of this place, and she had no problem with that. She was a very respecting girl and she'd had many a person compliment her on her gentille manners in her home country. It prided her parents to know they'd done well in raising her, and it prided her to know that they looked at her with pride. Surely she wouldn't forget herself just because she was in a new country. She wouldn't allow it.

After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly around the cafe' and common's area, she had decided to head into what she guessed was the right direction of her class. That was before she'd gotten caught up by the water fountain. Now she was playing with the combination lock on a locker.

"Uuuhhh...," The boy finally spoke up, catching Talim's attention. "Your class is down that-a-way. Make a left and it's right at the end."

Talim smiled brightly as she took back her schedule.

"Thank you!"

The guy nodded and shuffled away. It was then that Talim noticed the pungent odor that trailed after him as he made his way to a set of double-doors ahead of them and outside of the building. She looked for a few seconds more and turned to make her way to class. Maybe he had a class that required him to be outside. Judging from his appearance though, and the smell that accompanied, he had other things in mind. Talim shook off the thought. It wasn't right to judge...though her assumption might be true when another whiff of cannabis slapped her in the nose.

She meandered down the hall and made her way to her first and last class's door.

Her first ever public school class.

Suddenly, she didn't feel so calm. The zeal that pumped through her body moments ago turned cold. She smiled nervously as she stood in front of the door and listened to the chorus of voices- her new classmates. Public school classmates whom she had no idea about. Adrenaline pumped from her chest to the rest of her body, instantly warming her, and she poised her little fist near the cold door, preparing to knock. Earlier in the day, she had so looked forward to experiencing this very thing. Why was she so intimidated now? A loud racket of laughter made her jump from her frozen position and she curled her hands into fists at her side, frustrated at her nerve.

"It's just Trigonometry class," she steeled herself, quietly. "Calm down, Talim! It's just Trig class...in a public school. With new public school peers. You've never been to public school...but it'll be ok-"

She was silenced when the door abruptly swung open revealing a bored looking girl with chin-length hair of varying colors and an outfit to match. She quirked a pierced eyebrow at Talim, who was still poised to knock on the door. Her blood rushed to her feet and she suddenly felt like a gawking corpse, which she might as well had been. Her mouth was open and her eyes were wide as they moved to look at eyebrow piercing. It was a bar stuck through with two multi-coloured balls on either end. Talim shut her mouth and brought her hand down, feeling the most awkward she could possibly have felt at the moment, which was the maximum. She laughed nervously and stammered and stuttered as the girl looked on with a bored expression, smacking on her gum.

"I-I...I'm...I-I'm..."

"Mrs. Matt. Some kid's at your door."

With that, the vibrantly colored girl with the opposing attitude opened the door wide enough for curious eyes to peer out the door as she walked out of the class to who knows where. Some students further to the back of the class stood or leaned over their desks, angling their bodies so that they could get a better eye full of the curious individual standing in the doorway. Talim stood as still as a statue, brown eyes wide. Everyone in the front of the class who could see her stared back, some people whispering and others snickering amongst themselves. Someone coughed. After what felt like more than an hour when in actuality, it was not even a minute, Talim heard some hurried footsteps from the back of the classroom. With the way the desks were positioned (facing to her left), she really couldn't get a good look at the back of the class where the teacher's desk most likely lie. Talim just stood there like a deer in headlights until the teacher came into her view, looking flustered and surprisingly not much older than some of the kids in her class. She had long black hair plaited in a single braid down her back, dark, yet lively eyes and a thick pair of glasses on her face. She was dressed conservatively in a long brown skirt and a long sleeved button up that had 'NCHS' stitched on the breast pocket.

"Oh, hello there," she greeted jovially, "Do you need something, dear?"

Her friendliness eased Talim's nerves and she smiled back, her cheeriness renewed.

"Hello! My name is Talim and I'm new here. I think this is my class...," she trailed off as she handed her schedule to the young teacher who adjusted her glasses and read. She blinked a little incredulously, looked at Talim, then back at the schedule, blinking some more.

"It says here that you're a sophomore taking senior classes," she murmured and studied her schedule again for a moment before adding, "...Advanced Economics? I didn't even know there was a class for that here... That's really something else."

Talim smiled shyly. Though she was by no means a braggart, she did appreciate it when her intelligence was complimented. After she explained that this was her first class in a public school ever, the nice teacher smiled brightly, guiding her into the classroom with a hand on her shoulder and introducing herself to her. Talim glanced at the body of twenty or so students who stared back at her, her new classmates.

"Well, dear, welcome to New Calibre High School! I really hope you'll like it here. Here, things can get a little...rough-," she started as she ushered Talim to the back of the class, and as if on cue, one of the students at the front of the class somehow had their desk tipped over to the side. A loud crash followed as desk and body hit the ground. Laughter ensued, and Mrs. Matt rushed over to the student. "Dear, are you okay?"

The student got up and set his desk on all four legs, laughing at the boy next to him who had obviously been the one to knock him over in his desk. The trigonometry teacher sighed as they told her everything was cool. She got flustered so easily, she should be used to the sort of thing since it happened regularly. Adjusting her glasses, she made her way back behind her desk with Talim standing in front looking a little startled at the antics of the students.

"Those two always joke around like that," Mrs. Matt said, sighing and trying to calm her own nerves. Talim looked at her with her eyes a fraction wider. She chose to laugh nervously at the 'joke'.

_'_That's_ joking around...? What if he'd gotten hurt?' _

"Well anyway," the teacher resumed, "Here things can get a little difficult...not so much with academics for you dear, but...probably with your peers. I think a slight little thing like yourself can deal with it though. What do you think, dear?"

Talim nodded with a smile, sure of herself. She'd stood up for herself in the past before. Despite her size, she was a pretty strong girl.

"Mm-hmm. I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

Mrs. Matt smiled back, satisfied with her answer, but inwardly a little worried about what was to come for the girl. She'd been in the teaching field for a while (though she didn't look it) and she knew how cruel kids could be, especially in high school.

"Well, let me get you a textbook and a course syllabus then, miss Talim. While I do that, why don't you go to the front of the class and introduce yourself?"

"Okay," Talim replied, making her way to the front of the class rather quickly before her nerves caused her to freeze on the spot. She made it to the front of the class, and her nerves caught up with her. The class was socializing, laughing and loud and she was standing in front of the chalkboard with her mouth parted as if she were caught saying something mid-sentence. Her throat wasn't working. The kids in the front row were too busy chattering to notice her, thank goodness. Talim shut her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Her hands, sweaty and clammy suddenly, balled at her sides. She tried to calm herself from the inside out.

'_Calm down Talim. Calm down Talim. It's only school. They're only classmates- people, the same as you. Just...introduce yourself...'_

"Hey, why is she standing up there anyway?"

A question from the rows of desks caused her eyes to snap open. All eyes were on her now. Her tan face reddened. Well, she might as well get it over with while she had their attention.

"H-Hello everyone. M-My...name is Talim...and I'm new h-here..."

Everyone just watched her, so she continued a little more confidently.

"This is my first time ever attending a public school and I hope that things go smoothly. I-I came here from the Philipines and..-"

"Hey, doesn't she look like she's ...twelve?"

Talim's eyes rounded in shock. What did he just say?

"Maybe she's one of those really smart kids who study 24/7. She probably got bumped from fifth grade to high school."

The whole class erupted into laughter once again at the random question. Talim, on the other hand, frowned.

"N-no...I'm fifteen!" Talim replied automatically with her fists at her side, taken aback at the random outburst from the class. She was used to being teased about her height and very young looks, but not on this scale, with everyone laughing at her, not with her.

"Why do you have on that uniform shirt? We don't wear uniforms here."

Talim looked down at her button up shirt and her maroon tie, the uniform top from her academy in her homeland. She had to for-go the long skirt for a pair of unoposing khaki pants; she didn't know how things were done here. She had to admit though, it wasn't helping her to dress that way, but she felt it was appropriate for her to wear it to school. Her other clothes were for hot weather anyway, so she was lucky she had brought along her long sleeved button ups and a few pairs of pants. The truth was she didn't have anything else to wear for school except those.

Speechless and more than embarrassed, Talim just stood there dumbly. It wasn't until she was rescued by Mrs. Matt, who had stepped out shortly to find an extra Trigonometry textbook in one of the neighboring classes, that her classmates ceased their joking. Talim was given the textbook and syllabus and now all she needed was a desk. Talim heaved a small sigh in the small moment it took the teacher to locate an empty desk in the back of the class. She wouldn't let her classmates get to her, but their lack of respect did bother her. Just a little bit. Well, she only had half a school year to deal with it, so she brightened up, vowing to keep her attitude a positive one.

"You can sit in that desk right behind that fellow with the red hair," her new teacher pointed with a sigh. "Looks like he's sleeping again. It hasn't even been twenty minutes in here," she muttered hopelessly as she made her way to the chalkboard, preparing to start the lesson. Talim looked over at the 'fellow with the red-hair' and he was indeed in a heavy sleep judging from his audible snoring. His head was face down on his desk with his arms serving as a pillow. Talim made her way to the back of the class carefully, apologizing when her satchel bag hit someone or something on their desk. Finally, she arrived to her desk and took her seat behind to slumbering giant of a student. His legs were jutting out from under his desk; it looked like he barely fit. He was wearing rather fitted black hoodie and some dark blue jeans. His hair reminded her of embers. Vaguely, she wondered if it was dyed as she pulled out a notebook and a pencil. As she recorded the notes that the teacher wrote on the chalk board (things that she'd already learned), she found herself watching the steady rise and fall of the guy's wide back. She began to grow curious about how he looked.

...Wait.

She shook her head at her wondering and sighed as she began writing again. What was she thinking. He was most likely just like the rest of her new peers, so what did it matter what he looked like. Talim shook her head again. She had to remain positive! Maybe he was a little friendlier than she was thinking. It wasn't right to judge someone before she had the chance to get to know them anyway. Her thoughts were interrupted when the teacher spoke up.

"Now I'll give you guys five minutes to tell me what the answer to the function of '_X'_ is," Mrs Matt told the class. "If you need help, I give you permission to ask your peers."

Talim looked around, a little surprised yet at the same time unsurprised that everyone in the class began chattering loudly amongst themselves before she could finish her second sentence. Everyone was doing the opposite of their work, she saw when she looked over the slumbering guy's back. She looked back up at the teacher who simply sighed and returned to her desk. Even though the second half of the school year had just begun, it must be something she was used to all year around. Talim watched with much fascination how ...uncontrolled things were in the classroom. It was a little bewildering.

Much sooner than later (even though the teacher allowed five extra minutes upon questioning the class's progress with their one problem), Mrs. Matt returned to the front of the classroom, an expectant look on her features. After quieting the class down (which took a moment), she asked them all.

"So...does anyone have the answer to the function of X?"

Nobody said anything. Talim looked around her and some of her classmates hadn't even written anything on their papers. Some had only written the problem, their name, and the date. She had to hide the incredulous look on her face.

"Anyone...?"

The classroom was silent. No one knew the answer or cared to try. She did though. Talim fidgeted in her seat, swallowed, and blinked a few times, slowly letting her hand rise into the air. Just as she'd thought, all eyes turned to her when the teacher acknowledged her.

"Oh! Talim, dear? Yes? Do you need something?" Mrs. Matt asked.

"No ma'am," Talim began a little sheepishly, everyone's stares were beginning to heat up her face, "Umm...is the answer five?"

Surprise shown on the teachers face before a joyful smile broke out onto her face. "Why, yes it is! Great job, dear. You must have already learned this stuff."

Talim nodded, allowing herself to feel just enough pride. Not too much though. Never too much. "A little."

"Well, that's wonderful!" '_I wish I could the same the same about some others_,' the teacher thought a little morosely with a glance at a certain red-haired student.

Talim nodded again and gave a small 'thank-you' to the teacher's compliment, fully aware of her peers' reactions. Some of them turned around to look at her for a while, to which she averted her own chocolate pair and studied her paper, and she heard others muttering and whispering, some loud enough for her to purposely hear, she guessed.

'Oh God, here we go. We got a know-it-all in here now.'

'Heh, at least I know where I'm gettin' my answers for the next test!'

'Kissin' up to the teacher already.'

'Geek alert!'

Pretending she didn't hear was outwardly easy, but inwardly disconcerting. What was so wrong with knowing the answer? Where she was from, it wasn't a big deal at all. Who didn't want to learn and apply what they learned? That's what school was for, right? Maybe in the Americas, it was just a place for fashion, jeers...public displays of affection, and a single-mindedness.

With a sigh, Mrs. Matt instructed the class to open their books and complete a few practice problems on a page. Apparently while Talim had been trying to figure her classmates out, an unconscious scowl had formed on her otherwise pleasant features and the teacher had drawn many pictures on the board pertaining to the lesson, probably trying her best to make things easier to the majority of the class. Talim cleared her expression, focusing on her earlier thoughts of not passing judgment so soon.

...Regardless of whether her first impression of the school could be spot on.

Instead, she began the preliminary problems on the page as the rest of class socialized. The problems were pretty easy, so her mind allowed itself to wander and so did her eyes as they fell on the head of fiery hair. The last time she checked, it was time for school, not time for a siesta. She was sure the rule 'No sleeping in class' applied to just about every school around the world, so there was no excuse in the way of culture. What was this guy's problem? Why wasn't the teacher doing anything about it? For some reason, this really annoyed Talim, causing her to shake her head as she resumed her classwork.

After a few moments, the teacher returned to the front of the class as she had before and asked for the answers to the assigned math problems. Of course, a majority of the class simply stared back at her in silence. Some students raised their hands with an answer, more announcing the wrong answer than right. Well, some were trying, Talim thought a little sympathetically, so she couldn't throw the whole New Calibre population under the bus. When people stopped answering questions with what little initiative there was, Talim raised her hand.

Correct. _'Yes!'_

Correct. _'Yes!'_

Correct. _'Yes!'_

Correct. 'Quadruple _yes!'_

This was how it went as Talim went on and on to answer all of the problems correctly. She smiled to herself happily as she repeated the self-satisfying word over and over, firing out the answer quickly and easily. No matter how many times it went on, she always got a positive high out of answering questions correctly. Much to her almost unnoticed classmates sneers. Almost.

"When did you get here, brainiac?" There was a heavy sigh after the lethargic, muffled words. Talim started when the speaker lifted his shoulders slightly, flexing for a moment, and lifted his head from off of the desk. He stretched far back in his desk, bowing his body backwards in his desk so far, that Talim had to lean back some so his hair didn't tickle her nose. He held his position for a few moments and she could swear she smelled mountain pine coming from his hair. He scratched a hand vigorously through his volcanic locks, causing Talim to crinkle her nose a little at the movement(what if some dandruff got on her things? Yuck!). He groaned as if he'd just been roused from a year's length of hibernation, ignoring the dissatisfied look he received from his teacher. Talim was also giving him a similar look; he was still bowed backwards over her desk, and she was still leaned back away from him.

"Nice of you to rejoin us after your nap mister Yun Seong," Mrs. Matt greeted him with a hint of annoyance, "Now, if you could just get out your textbook, notebook, and find a pencil..." She let the sentence hang as she slammed a worksheet onto his desk whereas she gently passed the others out row by row, causing him to straighten his body quickly with a start. "I'm sure miss Talim doesn't appreciate half your body taking up half of her space."

Talim smiled her thanks to the woman as she returned to the front of the class to resume the lesson and write a few more notes for the students to copy. As soon as she was a good distance away, the one who was slumbering so peacefully a few moments before turned so that his rather long legs were free from under the cramped confines of the desk and in the row's aisle. Talim leaned back a bit once again at his next action, a little caught off guard. He turned his top half toward her and Talim's nervous yet a little curious cocoa eyes finally met his tired yet sharp brown ones. Her eyes widened by a fraction. His brows matched his hair.

He sniffed and yawned. He didn't cover his mouth. He broke their eye contact momentarily to rub sleepily at his eyes the same way kids do with both hands. He repeated his question in a bored, boyishly cocky voice that made her brows furrow of their own accord and her hands fist in her lap.

"So when did you get here, brainiac?"

_Brainiac?_

He was looking at her condescendingly, his head tipped back a little, showing the masculine contours of his jawline, and something of a smirk was on his face. A few short strands of his mane hung over his forehead. Talim parted her mouth to speak, but before she could get more than a word in, he leaned closer to her over her desk. It was a good thing she was already unconsciously leaned away from him; his predatory eyes made her lean a little farther.

"My-"

"Where're ya from?"

Rude..! He'd interrupted her and invaded her personal space in the same second. Talim fluttered at his suddeness, stammering as he waited for her answer, still a bored look on his countenance. She didn't like his look. Deciding to ignore him, his eye-catching hair and his lack of manners, she looked down at her worksheet with all the means of returning her attention to the teacher and her notes.

His black hoodie's arm was in the way. Or rather his arm. His elbow was crooked on her desk as his hand hung on the back of his seat which he leaned against. Her paper was trapped underneath. His eyes followed hers, then returned to their original interest.

"You anti-social or somethin'? You talk, right?"

_Anti-social?_

Hadn't he heard her calling out the answers just minutes before? Did she talk? What kind of question was that? He had just cut her off! That's why she couldn't say anything! If he just wanted to make assumptions like the rest of the class, he shouldn't have even bothered her in the first place. Instead of answering his ...unreasonable questions, Talim shook her head and gave her paper a flat expression as she spoke down to it.

"I'm sorry...but could you move your arm, please," she asked in a smaller voice than she had intended. The guy had an intimidating affect. At least he'd think that it was because she didn't want to alert the teacher. That is, if he even cared about whether or not they alerted the teacher. Talim looked at him when he didn't budge. Who was she kidding? He had the nerve to sleep in class, so of course he didn't care.

"Ohhh, so you do talk," he said as if she'd been hiding it all along. "Are you smart?"

Oh, for the love of-

"_Yun Seong_!"

He lazily turned his head to look at his teacher. Lazily, as in Talim saw the way he verrrrrry slowly turned his head and cut his eyes from her to the front of the class.

"If you would stop pestering our new student, please? Heaven knows she's been participating more than you ever have and she just got here!"

"Okay, okay. Jeez, calm down," Yun Seong acquiesced, but not before giving Talim what she guessed was a 'calculating look'. Maybe calculating was too strong a word. 'Thoughtful' probably was too strong, too. She just looked at him as he stared for a few seconds, then finally turned around with the parting words,

"Must not be that smart with with clothes like that. Doesn't take a geek to see that we don't wear those things."

Talim's mouth parted just a little, but she caught herself before she let his words get to her. She'd heard it from her classmates for most of the period, so it was not a big deal at all. But honestly, she had hoped that first person who she'd be able to talk to one-on-one would be a little bit more...friendly. She had hoped that everything would have went much different than things had been going. She'd hoped that things would be easier to adjust to.

She sighed, straightening her back that had been bowed under the weight of negative emotion and erased the scowl from her face. Most of it. Like she had reminded herself time and time before, she had to make the best of her situation. Dwelling in the negative would only make things worse. She resumed jotting down notes and idly glanced across her desk. Yun Seong was sitting slouched in his seat, his neck almost leaning on the top half of his chair, and his legs were wide, jutting once again from underneath his desk. Well, at least he was paying attention now, Talim mused.

It wasn't long before she noticed his head bowed, supported by his chest and a quiet snore. Surrounding classmates snickered at him shortly and the young filipina breathed a short sigh, continuing her work.

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><p><em>Didn't mean for it to be so long...Let me know what you think? Review? Constructive criticism appreciatedwanted very much! -.- I could name a few things I need to work on, myself... _

_Also, I'm not done with my other fic, so if you've read it, don't worry! :] _

_Much love!  
><em>


	2. Chapter 2

_Well, I updated sooner than I thought simply because I find this fic surprisingly easy to write...I hope I haven't spoken...er-typed too soon. I may experience writer's block along the way because of this. :worried:_

_This chapter is a little more than half as long as the last. It was going to be ages longer...but I chopped it up so that I could hurry and update, seeing as I have the same number of hits and visitors to this story. Sorry to keep you waiting guys! :smile: Feel free to leave a review if you like or don't like it!_

_Also, thanks to Venusgurl5 and Celestial Zodiac for your reviews. I'm really glad you guys like my fic so far! :big smile:_

_Well, everyone enjoy! _

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><p><strong>Reoccurring Thoughts<strong>

The day was nice, the weather crisp and cold, characteristic of the season. The sun was out though, so if one was subject to the rays for long enough, the January chill could be lessened. There were even a few birds singing a few notes into the winter air. The sky was a deep blue and a few cirrus clouds were splayed across it like a painter's swinging stroke on a canvas. A few people littered the sidewalks, walking to and from wherever they pleased and needed, busy with their devices or talking or just looking to get where they needed to go. It was a really pleasant afternoon in the city and beautiful, too.

Talim thought on all the good the day had brought. She thought about how good the sun felt on her face and how she couldn't wait to get out of her winter-coat and into some heated air. Dinner wrapped around her mind and she felt her stomach growl with a reminder. Though it was a little late in the day, going on four o'clock to be exact, some champorado was sounding really delicious right about now. Taking her freezing feet out of her black leather loafers would feel heavenly right about now. Warm lemon and mint tea would taste really good right about now. She rolled her lips into her mouth. Some lip balm would be really useful right about now. She sniffed when a stray wind blew her bangs up and out of her face for a few beats. She sniffed again. A tissue would be perfect right about now. Warmer weather would be great. Walking down known roads with friends instead of down a sidewalk alone would be appreciated. Having people who knew her around would be thoroughly appreciated. Being around people who loved and appreciated her would also be appreciated.

Being home would be most appreciated.

Talim looked up from the sidewalk she trekked on and ahead from the school's campus. Students were meeting up with their friends for a last conversation before departing on their way home by bus, bike, or foot. While most stood around and socialized underneath barren trees, or in front of the school's entrance, others unchained their bikes from the bike posts and left or just departed the campus with their friends. Only a few loners stood at the bus stop or walked by themselves like Talim did. They lived near the school in one of the various surrounding neighborhoods in the more urban than suburban city. Though the new student at New Calibre didn't have much longer of a walk than those who lived close to the school, it was still quite a ways.

'_It's a good thing I'm used to this kind of stuff_,' Talim thought lamely as she looked both ways then crossed another busy street, sniffing all the way. She made a mental note to pack some sheets of tissue with her tomorrow. She'd told herself the same thing that morning, but had forgotten as her first public school day had began with excitement and rush. The memory of the morning had been such a blur. She'd walked to school that morning, practically skipping with glee in the twilight with no problem after taking a cab there with her mother a few weeks earlier so she could register. Memorizing the way was rather easy; the cab ride was quick and short. Walking was something that she'd always done in her home country, whether it was to the store, a friends house, school, or just anywhere. It was what just about everyone did and she loved meeting people she knew while she was walking to her destination. Everyone would be busy but they were never to busy to smile and utter a greeting, whether it be on the dirt roads or the paved roads through the villages and towns. Talim didn't know everyone single person, but she knew enough and the sense of familiarity was cherished. Now, as she walked down a sidewalk past a series of closed down shops and few businesses, she just felt blank. Vaguely paying attention to the pedestrian traffic and vehicle traffic, she continued down the pavement for about ten minutes down a block of identical, yet differently color schemed two-story townhouses. Even thought there was little space between them, they looked homely, but at the moment, the young girl didn't feel it despite the three weeks she'd lived in it.

Talim sighed and pulled her house key from her pocket as she made her way to the sienna-red townhouse with the brown shingles. Something began to nag at her as she unlocked the door; she felt like she was forgetting something. As soon as she opened the door and was met by a mirrored pair of chocolate brown, she remembered.

She shouldn't be frowning-everything would be alright.

"_Nanay_," Talim greeted the woman who was standing right in front of the door, a look of concern on her face, when she opened it with a hug and a sunny smile. _'Mother_.'

A woman that could be her clone save for the extra inches in height(that Talim hoped she would gain in the years to come), the few lines of wisdom rather than age on her face, and midnight hair pulled back into clean bun except for a few wisps on the sides of her face, her mother hugged her back with an equally bright smile, her worry extinguished. Lidi had been awaiting her daughter's arrival as soon as 3:45 hit, the time Talim had told her she would be leaving school and on her way home. She began to worry for her daughter's safety after a few moments, wondering if she'd gotten lost, or hurt in the city, or worse. It was like she'd been holding her breath for the twenty or so minutes she had been waiting for her only child and she could finally breathe easy and her daughter sensed this.

"Everything was alright, Nanay," Talim assured, hugging her tighter. Her mother only knew bits and pieces of english, so Talim repeated her words in their native language of Tagalog. The older woman smiled at her daughter, replying in the language she knew best.

_"Alam mo na ikaw ay may sa sabihin sa ako ang lahat, Talim."_

"You know you must tell me everything, Talim," she said and moved out of her way hurriedly so that she could shut the front door. She sat on the couch and placed one of the decorative pillows in her lap as Talim moved a little sluggishly into the little living room, seeming to melt out of her coat as she dropped it onto the couch. Talim smiled just a little at her mother's giddiness; sometimes she acted as if she was fifteen, too, and sometimes Talim acted as if she were...well, her mother's age. A grateful sigh left the youth's mouth as she kicked off her loafers and curled her toes in her as she sank to the floor, her back supported the loveseat her mother sat adjacent to on the couch. Her legs stretched out underneath the dark oakwood coffee table that matched so well with the other furniture in the living room and she let out another breath as she let the heat of the house warm her chilled body.

"Mmm, that feels so good!" Talim groaned as she rubbed her legs. Lidi huffed, not liking how she was intentionally being ignored. Her daughter turned toward her with a giggle and a light apology. Her mother could be so pushy sometimes, but it was that push that she appreciated most times. "Alright, alright! Today was pretty...interesting."

Mother's eyes looked at daughters matching ones that were trained on the dark carpet. "Interesting how?"

"Well, it was ...enlightening." Her eyes were now staring off into a corner of the room. Lidi quirked an eyebrow.

"Talim, just tell me what happened on your first day," she said with a chuckle and a shake of her head. She could tell her daughter was stalling and being very obvious about it. When her cocoa eyes finally found their copy's, she knew she'd finally hear what she wanted.

"Well", her daughter breathed, "It was...different," she stopped, but continued when she saw the look on her mother's face with vigor, "Things are less enforced, I guess. There are rules, but they don't seem really strict. Oh...they don't wear uniforms."

She sheepishly untied her tie from around her neck and put it on the coffee table. Her mother had since went into the kitchen and returned with two warm cups of mint tea much to Talim's glee. She sipped half her cup and let out a satisfied 'Ahhh' before continuing with a reinforced determination on her face.

"But that's alright. Anyway, the academics are pretty good. I'm taking some senior classes and higher level classes, so the counselor's say I could graduate next year at this point."

Lidi beamed. "I don't have to say it; You know I'm so proud of you and your father is, too. I always knew you'd have no problem with the work (of course that's because you don't take after me in only looks)...but what about the other school children?"

Talim's eyes danced over the rim of her cup as she sipped and listened to her mother, but they seemed to dim when she thought about the 'other school children'. Memories from an hour ago in her trigonometry class flashed through her mind and suddenly she felt like she was outside in the cold again. She'd tried to push the feelings from her thoughts as she walked from the school, away from the jeers and jests, but as soon as she made it home it was brought up again, ironically. She glanced away for a quick second, trying to think of the most pleasant way to put it without worrying her mother, but her mother caught it instantly. The two had quite the connection between mother and daughter that prevented either one from missing a beat in emotions. Knowing what was coming, Talim smiled at her mother and set her cup down. She had to keep it positive.

"They're nice. Like I said, things are different, but interesting. I think I'm the same to them. It seems like they don't get new students much..."

The concerned look on Lidi's face dissipated only by a margin. "Have you made any friends?"

"No, Nanay! It's too soon for that. Besides, I just got here and I've only been to one class-"

"How was it in there? Did you talk to anyone? What about the teacher?"

"Nanay, slow down," Talim laughed. "Well, it was alright in the classroom. The teacher is really, really nice! She really helped me out in there when this guy-"

A gasp.

She looked up to see her mother gripping the little decorative pillow to her chest, eyes and mouth wide. Talim looked at her mother, confused. "Nanay?"

"Tell me about this guy, Talim!" Her mother exclaimed and it was daughter's turn to sigh in exasperation. Her mother could act like such a teenager.

"It was nothing like that! He was really obnoxious and when he wasn't being obnoxious, he was sleeping in class with such audacity, you could say he was being obnoxious while he was doing that! The guy didn't do any work the whole class, and I guess it's 'normal' here because Mrs. Matt, the trigonometry teacher, wasn't really surprised. If it were up to me," and with this, she pointed to herself,"I would not be sitting behind him!"

"And why is that?" Her mother asked with a mirth that unnerved Talim.

"Because. It is hard to see the chalkboard when he sits up in his desk."

Her mother chuckled as she pouted with her arms crossed. Her daughter usually didn't act as childish, so something must really be up with this obnoxious boy. "Well, Talim, if that's the only reason why, then maybe you could ask him to move?"

"I don't think I could."

"Why not?"

"Because he's just...!" She paused, searching for the word as she frowned and stared at the wood grain on the coffee table. It was really odd that she'd only just met him and she already felt so negative toward him! And what really puzzled her was how her mother seemed to be smirking like everything was just fine. Talim growled when she couldn't place the word she was looking for. Maybe it was for the best.

"Alright Nanay, I know it's not right to judge, but he's just so...I-don't-know-what! Could we drop this subject?"

Lidi laughed lightly, a sound like wind playing with wind chimes, Talim liked to think, and picked their cups from off of the coffee table.

"Well, whenever you figure out what that 'I-don't-know-what' is, you let me know," she said and left the living room for the kitchen. "He sounds like an interesting person."

'About as interesting as watching him asleep on his desk,' Talim thought sarcastically, the teen in her winning against her more mature side. Immediately, she reprimanded herself, for her thoughts raced to the red-head's wide, slumbering back.

Gathering up her things, she made her way upstairs and into her bedroom. Her things were put away in their respective spots; her shoes and coat in the closet, and her satchel bag hung from a hook on her closet door. Talim's room was very simple, yet very much her. The walls were white and the carpet dark, the same as all of the rooms, but her bedding, was white and orange with many different flowery designs in olive green and navy blue on her pillows and bed spread. Her dresser and nightstand matched her headboard and footboard, which were a light-brown wood color. Talim had to smile when she walked past her queen-sized bed and to the front of her dresser and began pulling out some comfortable lounge-around clothes to change into. It seemed like her father was trying to spoil her with things that she never had-one being a queen-sized bed. She had never minded back at home sleeping in a single bed, but oh well. She could enjoy the extra space while she stayed in the states.

Pulling on a basic brown short-sleeved shirt and a pair of navy cotton shorts that hit her knee, Talim headed back downstairs after hanging up the clothes she had switched out of. Vaguely, she wondered if what she wore now would be considered more 'acceptable' at New Calibre than her obviously disdainful uniform set. There would be no surprise if it were. The girl shook her head and dismissed her musings as she practically flew down the stairs, ready to help her mother prepare some dinner for her growling stomach.

* * *

><p>With her appetite sated and all of the dishes from dinner washed and put away, Talim retired to her room satisfied. Her mother had also went to her own room and was showering in her master bathroom. It was a little past eight o'clock. She'd gone to bed at nine-thirty the night before but hadn't fallen asleep until near midnight thanks to her nerves. It surprised her that she didn't almost fall asleep the whole time she had been in the student information center earlier that day. She had to really thank her nerves for that one. Now though, all of the sleep she had missed out on seemed to catch up with her as she made her way down the hall to the bathroom for a shower. After she turned the shower on and adjusted he faucets so the water ran nice and hot, she undressed and pulled her hair back so it wouldn't get wet while she showered. Even under the comfort of the hot water, there was a sense of foreboding for the next day. Closing her eyes, Talim washed, rinsed, then exited the steamy shower and returned to her room with a fluffy yellow towel wrapped around her frame.<p>

Making sure her orange, olive and white curtains were closed, she dressed in a black cami and some short cotton shorts. Surely the students at New Calibre high would find her present attire more to their liking she bet. She grimaced a little as she hung her towel up in it's rightful place and set her alarm clock. After a quick rendezvous to her mother's room where she uttered an english 'good night' and a Tagalog '_mahal kita_', she ran back into her room and turned the lights off, ready to go to bed. Her digital clock read eight thirty-seven on her nightstand, so she'd have plenty of time to fall asleep. The top covers to bed were drawn back, and Talim settled in on the right side next to the alarm clock, but faced the left, staring at the wall.

_'Well, whenever you figure out what 'I-don't-know-what' is, you let me know. He sounds like an interesting person.'_

Her mother's words resurfaced in her mind and she watched the wall and she wished they had stayed wherever they were in her head. As soon as she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to shut it out, his sharp eyes were there, looking at her and he was gauging her with that less-than-thoughtful look again. A tiny groan escaped her throat as she readjusted her head on her pillow. He had really gotten under her skin today! It wasn't just his stupid questions or his comments about her wearing a uniform...okay, maybe it was a little bit of that, but it wasn't only that which made her annoyed. She tried to place her finger on it because she didn't know exactly what it was. He acted pretty much how she would expect any of her other classmates to act, but for some reason, the effect was heightened. Was it his bright red hair? No, it couldn't be. Many of the students in the school had different colored hair. It really was an illogical theory anyway.

"I _really_ should be getting some sleep right now...," the thoughtful filipina chided herself when her eyes fluttered open and she gazed at the wall. Besides, she'd be seeing that irksome guy tomorrow afternoon, so her thoughts _should_ calm down. Concentrating on the wall, she pushed him-those eyes, the hair, that _face-_ from her thoughts. When she managed to completely erase it from her mind, only then did she close her eyes again with a content sigh. Eventually sleep caught her, but more later than sooner and not before the face of an unreasonably irksome red head found it's way behind her eyelids again, to which she growled aloud a second time and kicked at nothing in particular under the covers.

The night felt longer than it really was.

* * *

><p><em>We spend our days in deliberating, and we end them without coming to any resolve. <em>

_~L'Estrange_

* * *

><p><em>I used an online translator for the tagalog. I really apologize if I butchered the language...it was the translator's fault..!<em>

_Besides mentioning my overuse of Talim's name(sorry about that!), any criticism and comments are welcome..! Hope you enjoyed!  
><em>


	3. Chapter 3

_Well, hello there! It really has been long, and for that, I apologize. College is...whew. And I am very ...remedial when it comes to math (shame-faced). My midterms are next week, but despite that, I've been in a mood for adding on to this fanfic thanks to a dream I had that had nothing to do with Talim or Yun-Seong...not even Soul Calibur, haha. Well, to those who have waited long, I apologize again, and to those who have just started reading, thankyou for doing so and I hope you enjoy :)_

_"EXHILARATION is the Breeze..." _

_~Emily Dickinson_

* * *

><p><strong>First<br>**

Morning came rather fast actually, and when her alarm clock summoned her to life with its repetitive, jarring wails, Talim groggily lifted her head from her pillow and promptly hit the off button. She blinked in the darkness of her room, wanting so much to just lie her head back down on her fluffy pillows, but she just lay there, knowing full well that if she did, she'd be headed back into her dreams. She squeezed her eyes shut and stretched long on her stomach, her body humming as she yawned simultaneously. Her eyes did snap open when she remembered her dream though, and maybe it was a good thing she hadn't laid her head back down. She dreamed of what had happened all over again in her math class, complete with the_ boy-who-would-not-be-mentioned _and his questioning. This time, however, in the hazy pastels of her dream, the boy with the flaming hair did not stop his questioning. For some reason, which didn't completely surprise Talim, she couldn't answer him as he continued his idiotic interrogation as she sat there in her desk. She had just stared at the dazing colors that were him and listened as he fired off question after question without even taking a breath. She couldn't remember his questions, but she was sure they weren't worth answering which is why her dream self had probably remained silent. Attempting to erase the dream and some sleep from her hazy thoughts, the tired young girl shook her head and lifted herself from her warm covers, stretching shortly one more time before her feet found the carpet. Her clock read 6:16 am; she had a little more than an hour to get ready for her second day of public school in the states.

After fixing her bed, she trudged down the hall and into the bathroom, taking care of her usual morning routine. After that, she trudged back into her room and changed from her nightwear into her school wear; a clean pair of khakis and her usual uniform button-up plus an undershirt to help with the cold weather she rather disliked. She retrieved a tie from a smaller drawer on her vanity and looked at her tired reflection as she expertly tied the maroon fabric underneath her collar. She gave herself a once-over after she was through, making sure all buttons were buttoned and everything was in place. Her tie was tied perfectly, and her shirt and pants were perfectly ironed and wrinkle free. She looked immaculate, in her opinion, and she felt happy about it inside. Now she just had to keep her opinion from sinking in the tides of ridicule that she was sure she could receive from the high school society. She sighed when she remembered what she'd be dealing with that day. She replaited her hair into two identical braids on either side of her head and took a moment to stare at her reflection in the vanity mirror.

Okay, so her face was on the child-like side of the spectrum, she knew, but she didn't think she looked that young... Secretly though, she couldn't wait until a few years passed and her countenance matured. Her parents had told her that she had the deepest and most beautiful big, brown eyes that anyone could look upon the world with, a gift from her proud mother, and equally proud grandmother. She'd heard this not only from them when she was growing up, so her esteem on her features was pretty well-grounded. Of course, it was inevitable that some jealous child let her know their opinion of them, that her eyes were big and empty like that of a mouse (he had also compared her stature to the little vermin), but at her age, because she'd grown up around more positive than negative, she took that as a wayward compliment, giggling about how cute baby mice were. Now that she looked at herself, the mouse thing was probably right. Other fifteen-year olds were a little bit more developed than her. They were also taller, she noted, though her height didn't much bother her. She just hoped she'd gain at least a couple more inches before she fully matured to make her at least a full five feet tall and maybe with those inches...a cup size. Poking her bottom lip out a little, Talim's eyes fell to her chest. Because of her shirt, any curve was nonexistent. Not like she had much to show anyway.

_'I'm as flat as a floor-board...' _

Abruptly shaking her head to disperse the negative thoughts, she sighed through her nose and turned from the mirror. There was nothing wrong with her body and she was thankful for how she was created, but she couldn't help feeling a tiny bit inadequate. Talim retrieved her shoes, coat, and satchel bag from her closet then headed downstairs for breakfast willing herself not to give her insecurities a second thought throughout the day.

"Good morning, Nanay," Talim greeted her mother with a peck on the cheek and headed to the fridge to pour them both a glass of orange juice. She was busy in front of the stove making a breakfast wrap consisting of peppers, egg, sausage, and rice among other things. Lidi smiled but stayed attentive to the frying wraps. She placed a finished one on a plate next to a little bunch of white grapes.

"Good morning, _maliit na ibon_." Her mother returned her greeting in english, save for the name of endearment she used to address her, and Talim smiled brightly at her. _'Little bird'. _Talim had no clue why her mother sometimes would call her that ever since she could remember, but it made her happy to hear it, combined with her mother trying her best with english.

Her smile turned into a mischievous one as she sat down adjacent to her at the little round dining table, having set their glasses at their respective spots, and looked up at her.

"Now, say something else," she chirped. Her mother took a moment to give Talim an exasperated look, but her daughter only smirked expectantly. Lidi rolled the wraps around a little more in the frying pan and looked up at the ceiling, struggling to remember some english phrase or greeting that her daughter had drilled into her head. She rolled three finished wraps onto a serving plate and prepared a few more as she thought in silence. Talim pursed her lips, trying not to laugh aloud at her mother's contemplative expression as she prepped another wrap for frying. When she finally had an answer, she turned to her daughter, smiling a little unsurely.

"...Sleep well?"

Beaming but not liking that memories of her dream flashed in her head, Talim nodded and rose from her seat to give her a hug from behind. "Yes! Great job! I'm proud of you."

Lidi laughed and continued cooking as she replied again in english, "Thank you."

After enough wraps had been made, mother joined her daughter at the table and they both began their breakfast. Talim ate quickly despite her mother's remarks of indigestion. She didn't mean to; the anticipation of going to all of her classes was making her behave excitedly. She popped the last of her grapes into her mouth and downed the rest of her orange juice while her mother simply laughed at her daughter wolfing down her food. It seemed that regardless of what had happened yesterday, Talim was still ready to return to the place.

"I'm just really hungry," Talim reasoned as she washed her dishes and put them away. Her mother laughed good-naturedly once again and declared otherwise.

"I think you can't wait to see the boy who got under your skin, _maliit na ibon_."

Talim gasped and spun around from the sink to face her mother. "_Nanay_! That is_ not _true!"

Her mother giggled and popped a grape into her own mouth. Coyly fluttering her thick lashes, she asked Talim if she was ever going to be able to meet the young man. Talim's jaw dropped momentarily, but she recovered by going into a long-winded and angry tirade as to why her mother would ever allude to something as far-fetched as _interest _in her classmate. It hadn't even been a full class period since she'd known him, and in that short time, feelings of annoyance were the only feelings that had bloomed. Even if she was joking, Talim would not take that joke lightly, not even if it was her mother who was dishing it out. How could her mother even _think _about asking something like that? Obviously she was asking if she was going to end up _with_ him. As in, _coupled with_ him_. _How apalling!

While Talim flapped on and on about how preposterous her mother's question was, Lidi simply smiled at her daughter's spunk. She was sure she would have nothing to worry about today. Her daughter was respectful, courteous, and intelligent, but she also had a lively spark within her that could flare up if she was tested. Lidi was sure, as she watched her daughter's eyes flash with retaliation and ire, that not even the negativity at New Calibre High school could extinguish that spark.

"- And furthermore, why would you even think that I would want to bring home someone I barely know, Nanay? I'm not like that. If I had to bring home someone I barely knew, I wouldn't even consider that impolite... "

Talim trailed off as she noticed her mother smirking and pointing at the digital clock on the oven. It read 6:55. She picked up her class schedule that she had been reading over at the table and looked it over. Her first class began as soon as the first bell rang - 7:30. If she were riding to school, she would have disregarded the time, but she was a part of the pedestrian traffic, so she'd have to get a move on if she didn't want to be late to her first class. Without another word, Talim dashed upstairs to brush her teeth and gargle in record time. Once again, Lidi could do nothing but chuckle at the antics of her daughter. This second day of classes would surely prove interesting for her daughter, she had no doubt.

"E-excuse me...," Talim apologized in a tone that contrasted the one she had earlier used with her mother. "Oh, I'm sorry! Excuse me..!"

Traffic was very congested in the hallways of New Calibre high with everyone trying to get to their first periods. Some teens were taking their time, laughing and talking with peers while others plowed through the crowd, wasting no time to arrive to their class. The crowd moved in two different directions on either side of the hallways, carrying the unfortunate who did not know their way around like a turbulent river easily carrying a leaf fallen from a tree. In this situation, Talim was that leaf - pushed and carried with the crowd of students as she tried desperately not to get trampled. It really didn't help that she was simultaneously looking over her schedule for guidance. Whenever someone bumped her, she apologized profusely, but her apology fell on deaf ears as the individual carried on with their friends and spared her an annoyed glance or words. Thus was the norm at New Calibre High.

When she finally did place her first class of her second public school day after being careened and down countless hallways, she peered in a little cautiously. While she was being thrown around the currents of the hallway, she had thought that she had seen a flash of red against one of the lockers the lined either side of the hall. Her eyes widened and she was immediately rushed into by students behind her when she paused to crane her neck for a better look. Of course, she had apologized fervently and added her own mental berating to the ones she had received from the individuals. There was absolutely no reason why she should have responded so unreasonably to possibly seeing him in that halls. No reason at all.

After greeting her teacher for the remainder of the year, a warm old woman with short silver hair, and briefly getting squared away on where the class was at with a syllabus and other sheets, Talim sat down in an empty desk in the middle of the classroom. Not nearly as nervous as she thought she would be, Talim set the textbook that the teacher had issued her on the desk and let her chin rest in her hand as she watched everyone in hall continue their travel to their first class. She was preoccupied with her own thoughts, though she was mildly surprised that her person was the first in class. The analog clock read twenty-five minutes past seven above the classroom door and as she gazed at it, her mind retreated to the flash of red she'd seen in the hall. Though she had annoyed herself by thinking of _him_, her mind subconsciously wandered back to the subject. She wondered if it was really him, or just another boy who happened to have his head dyed the same color. She almost completely doubted that if it was another with red hair, it was natural and as vibrant. Not like _his_.

She was idly twisting one of her braids within her fingers when her attention was caught by more individuals entering the room. Now, her nerves chose to get to her.

Quickly, Talim pulled her schedule from the front pocket of her satchel and reread it as a few of her classmates regarded her with curiosity. No better way to block out stares self-consciously than to pretend to be busy reading something, Talim could have smirked sarcastically at herself as she awkwardly hunched over her paper.

"Hey, are you in this class?"

Talim looked up into the glasses of a rather tall and lanky looking fellow. His skin was dotted with acne and his blonde hair was coiffed in a way that somehow contrasted his overall look.

Yes, he was tall, she noted, but not as tall as...

"Yes," Talim answered politely, holding out her hand to shake his. Her nervousness was neutralized by that fact that her thoughts had run to her...aggravation so quickly. Her thoughts were at attention, and once again, she pushed him from her mind. "I'm Talim, nice to meet you."

The stranger's answering smile was laced with metal, which Talim found charming for some reason. That is until he chuckled then snorted after grabbing her hand. With a sharp eye, she watched a fleck of his saliva fly from his lips and onto the arm of her coat. She continued to smile good-naturedly as he chatted, choosing to disregard what had just happened.

"Oh, that's great! We have a new female classmate. There aren't a lot of females in this class, as you can see."

Talim looked around as he gestured, a small part of her thankful that he had unhanded her. There were only three other girls sitting in the desks who glanced at Talim minutely before speaking amongst themselves and the remainder were male. Talim looked at the clock. There were barely two minutes left before the tardy bell rang.

"Wow," she remarked, "So this is a small class?" She looked over at the fellow as he got comfortable in the desk beside her, grinning a metal grin all the while. She noticed that like her, he seemed to be wearing a uniform. He was wearing a pair of plaid shorts and a short-sleeve shirt covered with a sweater-vest. A flash of comforting familiarity made her feel that she would probably like this class.

"Yep. Nothing but the best in these kinds of classes. If you're in this class, you're part of the elite in this school. AP Classes are only for those who are willing to traverse that extra kilometer, or mile, if you will, but the metric system is far more accepted on a world-wide standard than America's standard form of measure." Talim observed as he chuckled fully to himself and adjusted his glasses on his nose. She giggled quietly with him, unsure. Abruptly, he ceased and turned to her. " Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Arthur...I already shook your hand."

He chuckled to himself once again and withdrew his hand. Talim simply giggled again at his rambling. Though he seemed just the slightest bit full of himself, she had to admit that Arthur was quite a character in the few minutes she'd met his acquaintance.

"...And I already told you my name," she added, giggling at his slight flush.

"T-that's right," he said in his nasaly voice. Before he could say anything else, the girls sitting up front walked over and joined in on the conversation.

"We heard you and Arthur talking," one said, "And we just wanted to know where you were from?"

"Yeah, where are you from?" Arthur asked, interest in his eyes.

A feeling of comfort and sheer happiness bloomed in Talim's heart with such intensity, she thought she felt her eyes water from the sensation. Everyone in the class was generally interested when she told them where she was from; everyone else gathered around her as she explained how this was her second day of school in the states. She could feel the warmth of acceptance from her classmates and she felt elated from it. Never did she think that she'd meet peers who were so nice. Classmates who reminded her of the classmates in her homeland.

"Wow, all the way from Southeast Asia?"

"The Philippines, huh? Wow. That sounds cool!"

"What do you guys speak over there?"

"You came all the way over here? To New Calibre?"

"...Why?"

"That explains your uniform. Really cute tie!"

"Did you guys wear short skirts and knee-high socks...?"

"Yeah, like in school-girl anime and manga?"

"Gahh, that would be so cool if I could wear an Asian-styled uniform for high school!"

Talim's smile went from jovial to a little confused as her classmates began to deviate and have a discussion on what style of Asian school uniform was cutest. She was surprised to see that the girls in her class were just as opinionated about what looked good on other girls in terms of uniform as the boys, which she had expected. Of course she knew about the Japanese style of comic and cartoons, but she hadn't read or watched many in her time. Even Arthur was adding his two cents to the debate.

"I actually prefer the short skirt with a blazer-look. I think it looks more refined." Arthur looked over at Talim whose expression was even more disconcerted. " Yeah, I think you'd look splendid in that sort of uniform, Talim!"

Befuddled, Talim did the only thing she could think to do in a situation where she was _sort of_ getting a compliment: Nod and...

"T-thank you?"

Everyone laughed and unanimously agreed with Arthur's declaration, and he seemed to bask in it, leaning back in his chair and smirking at her. Suddenly she wondered why she had felt so overjoyed moments ago and uncomfortably broke eye contact with him. Thankfully though, the english teacher called the class to attention and the loud voices turned to murmurs before dying down completely as everyone found a seat. Talim let out a small sigh. Everyone in the class was nice, understanding even, but...

"Hey. Tall-um."

She turned around when she was tapped by a boy sitting in the desk behind her. Smiling in a friendly manner, she answered.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any short skirts and knee-high socks that you could wear?"

Talim's smile wavered as she sighed inwardly and fought back a confused little grimace. Yes, everyone was nice and understanding, but they were definitely a little too excited over uniforms.

Apologetically, she told him no, and his face fell. She turned back to face the front of the classroom where the teacher was writing notes about the lesson. Despite the treatment she received from her trigonometry classmates the day before, maybe it was a good thing she brought nothing but slacks to the states. It made her uncomfortable to think of how her classmates would react if they actually saw her in anything close to their fantasized uniforms.

She pulled out a notebook and began to jot down notes when Arthur spoke up.

"So do you like it here, Talim," he spoke quietly to her. Talim noticed he had no writing utensil or paper on his desk.

"Mmm...It's...different," she said, for lack of better words and with how he and her classmates had reacted to her uniform shortly before fresh in her mind. "Umm...do you need a pencil and paper? I could give you some if you do."

She watched as he leaned further in his desk in a pose of exaggerated relaxation, complete with hands clasped behind his head. He smirked smugly and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose again.

"That won't be necessary. I don't take notes. I always pass my tests."

He sure was full of himself, she noted as she responded with a slightly surprised 'Ohh. Well, alright then'. His exuding confidence didn't necessarily annoy her, but she did not find she fancied it very much. She was naturally humble, and though she knew not everyone was that way, she thought some could stand to be a little more. But, she couldn't do anything about it. She could only be thankful that this class was a little more comfortable to sit in than her Trigonometry class had been. Yes, she had to be thankful for at least that much.

"Oh, and if you ever need anything, just let me know, alright," Arthur suddenly said, invading her thoughts. She nodded and thanked him before he added, "No problem. Obviously you're not dumb like over 96% of this school's population, so you can come to me when you really need help."

His generalized words left her unresponsive for a beat before she smiled and thanked him again. He didn't realize how much she disliked his wording, for he continued to smugly smile and didn't take notes for the whole class period. Meanwhile, Talim was quietly questioned by her peers throughout the period about her uniform(no, she did not have any skirts) and her favorite Japanese T.V. show and manga (which she couldn't answer because she didn't have one, much to their confusion and disappointment). A small part of her wondered if sitting behind the red-haired one was much better than sitting in the midst of a group of peculiar individuals. They weren't unbearable, no, but they seemed pretty...odd.

Well, she had a few more classes before she would face him (or rather his back if he was sleeping again), so she could gauge the thought as the day progressed. Again though, Talim almost stamped her foot when she reminded herself to leave him from her thoughts as she continued to jot down notes about prose in poetry. 

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><p><em>If you didn't really enjoy this update, I understand and I apologize. Do not fret though, the next update won't just include a possible glimpse of that Yun-Seong guy, lol. Thank you all for the reviews! And I'm glad you liked it anonymous! :D Farewell until the next I post (and you read).<em>


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